Learning Esperanto through the Bible: Mateo 7:7-8, -anto

"Make a request, and it will be answered; what you are searching for you will get; give the sign, and the door will be open to you: Because to everyone who makes a request, it will be given; and he who is searching will get his desire, and to him who gives the sign, the door will be open." Matthew 7:7-8, Bible in Basic English

" Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you. For every one that asketh, receiveth: and he that seeketh, findeth: and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened." Matthew 7:7-8, Douay-Rheims version.

This verse illustrates the use of the suffix -anto. Using the -anto suffix on a verb turns it into a noun meaning 'one who (verbs)', '(verb)ing person'.

We know -anto through the name of the language 'Esperanto'. The verb 'esperi' is 'to hope'. 'Esperanto' means 'one who hopes' or 'hoping one'. The creator of Esperanto, L. L. Zamenhof, used the pen name 'Doctor Esperanto' on the first book about his language.

This verse also features -u verbs. A verb ends in -u when it is a command or a request. Jesus makes three requests in this verse:

petu = ask
serĉu = seek
frapu = knock

Try using -u to make commands or requests from other verbs. -U is covered in sections 70 and 71 of 'Step by Step in Esperanto'.

Jesus makes promises about what will happen in the future to those who obey His words and petu, serĉu and frapu. These promises will use the Esperanto future tense, using an -os ending. Here are the future tense promises:

petanto: estos donite al vi = will be given to you
serĉanto: vi trovos = you will find
frapanto: estos malfermite al vi = it will be opened to you

The Esperanto future tense is covered in section 751 of Step by Step in Esperanto.

Meditation: Why does God want us to 'petu, serĉu and frapu'? Doesn't He already know what we need? Why doesn't He just give it to us whether we want it or not, for our own good?

It's because even though we do not compare to God either in power or in holiness, God respects us as individuals enough to allow us to make choices. He could force us to love Him and obey Him, but to do that He'd have to take away our free will and make us just that little bit less like humans and more like programmed robots.

He waits for us to ask, to seek and to knock. It's a mark of His love for us. It is up to us to decide whether we choose to receive His love, or to go another way.

Exercises:
1. Read the Bible verse Mateo 7:7-8 aloud at least 7 times. Copy the verse out into a notebook. Look up any unfamiliar words in your Esperanto dictionary.

2. Read sections 452, 70, 71 and 751 in 'Step by Step in Esperanto'.

3. Use each of the following words in an Esperanto sentence: petanto, donanto, serĉanto, trovanto, ricevanto.

4. Pick ten other Esperanto verbs. Add the -anto ending to them, and write them down along with their English meaning.

5. Use five of the 'anto' words from exercise 4 and use them in an Esperanto sentence.

Written by Nissa Annakindt. Permission is granted to post this lesson to your blog or website provided you include a link back. Permission is also granted to translate this lesson into other languages and post it on a blog or website, so long as there is a link back.